Family Secrets
by YourNervousAuthor
Summary: It's the Modern Era and things haven't gone the way Inuyasha wanted them too, to prevent two of Inuyasha to be in the same era Sesshomaru kills Modern Era Inuyasha with the promise that he will fulfill his brother's dying wish. More in the first chapter.
1. Dealing with Trouble

Summary:It's the Modern Era and things haven't gone the way Inuyasha wanted them too, to prevent two of Inuyasha to be in the same era Sesshomaru kills Modern Era Inuyasha with the promise that he will fulfill his brother's dying wish. Will Sesshomaru be able to do as his brother desires without getting too close to his brothers mate?

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><p>Inuyasha ran his fingers back through his hair, over the years he had discovered an advantage to washing his hair. In the Feudal Era, he had always been confused as to why Kagome would crave a good hot spring. He had never seen a use to them, except for the necessity of cleaning after battle.<p>

But as years passed and the need to blend in grew, changes had to be made, like the one to his wardrobe. He had his Fire Rat Robe tailored in order to keep its protection without drawing attention to himself. It had been made into several shirts and undergarments, while he preferred his previous wardrobe, Sesshomaru had ordered for the change or else Inuyasha would have to stay off the map for good.

Inuyasha had coupled his red shirt with a metal grey jacket and pants. He had become the gun for the family business. Living in the modern era for demons had become difficult. Everything had to be done in secret. While the demon lords still controlled their lands, it was in a different sense then it had been in the feudal. Yes they would battle if one lord decided to cross the lines, but the human world could never know. If humans ever caught on to the hidden world then it would end everything. With time the human numbers became too great, they spread over the world like a plague, started a war, and while the demons had the physical upper hand, the humans had numbers and the ability to work together, it was the demon lords inability to work together without fear of being stabbed in the back that prevented them from winning the war. In the end Sesshomaru had gained an upper hand in both places. He gained control of the demon war. Under his hand the demons went into hiding from the war. In one day it appeared that all the demons of the world had disappeared, and the simplicity of the humans allowed the demons safety, and with comfort guaranteed there was no need to start a new war.

The demons had even created a system. Conquer the human world for a few decades, hide for a few decades. It worked. It allowed the packs to generate money to continue the front for humans, purchasing land and business whenever one lord conquered over another. What a demon decided to do during his years of activity was up to him. It was decided by a ring of elder demons that the same profession could not be used in a row. One century you could be a music god, the next century anything was open but music. Some demons had difficulty in controlling their need to be in a specific profession, but to make yourself noticeable by the human world meant that you got a visit from Inuyasha. There were more like him, demons unable to gain the head of a pack.

There were other rules that the Ring created for the protection of all the demons. Like killing humans using your youkai, that's what brought Inuyasha to where he was today.

"Jaken, Jaken, Jaken" Inuyasha shook his head as he walked up the stairs of the apartment building. It had taken a long time, he thought as he came to the door of the green demon, a long time for Jaken's devotion to finally break. The cloud of love and devotion he had held for his master had finally broken when Jaken witnessed his great lord strike down a youkai pup for attempting to devour a human girl. What did it matter if one human monstrosity went missing? The population wouldn't fall due to one girl. It had broken the straw, all this hiding and fear was too much for the small demon, but to kill a youkai for a human girl and cut it.

And because of this Jaken had to die, Jaken had taken to drawing a crowd. No longer using his body disguise to hide is small and green stature. He had become rebellious, and it was becoming a problem.

Inuyasha tapped his knuckles against the door, he smirked as he heard the demon scurry around inside.

"Coming" the demon piped, Inuyasha waited another minute before the door opened and a large yellow eye peered through the crack.

"I-I-Inuyasha" he stammered, Inuyasha placed his foot between the door to prevent the demon from shutting it.

"It was only a matter of time before I came to collect you Jaken" he sighed as he felt the pressure on his shoe as the demon pushed his weight against the door in an attempt to push Inuyasha away.

"You know why I'm here and you know I can't leave until I've finished the job" Inuyasha ran his finger across his fang and grunted as he pierced the skin, drops of blood sliding over his fingertips as it pooled slowly to each finger.

"Blades of Blood" he murmured as blood shot from his fingertips, shredding the door into pieces, he heard a loud shriek as Jaken ran, hiding behind his furniture.

"Jaken you can't escape this, there's no excuse in running from me, no matter where you go, you know I'll find you, why not end it here? Peacefully" Jaken shivered as Inuyasha's eyes began to bleed red.

"I-Inuyasha, you know… we could work something out… I could give you whatever yo-" Jaken moved around the room as Inuyasha laughed.

"What could you give me you pitiful green monster, I want nothing but your dead body at my feet" Inuyasha leapt over the couch, "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer" He shouted bringing his hand down swiftly as a violent rush of wind ripped through the green demon, blood gurgling as the remains of the body fell to the ground.

Inuyasha wiped the blood from his fingertips onto the fragments of Jaken's clothing, cleaning his hand before slipping it into his pocket, pulling his cell phone out.

"Fluffy, it's me. Tell the boys to come clean up this mess; I'll put up a barrier to block any unwanted visitors from coming in" Inuyasha yawned as he went to the fridge, listening as his brother gave orders to his assistant.

"Hn Mutt, they are on their way, you know what to do" Inuyasha sighed and closed the phone, grabbing an apple from the fridge, slowly peeling the skin from it with his nail.

"Now to wait for the lackeys" he said as he sat down on the sofa furthest from the body and flipped on the T.V. and waited for the cleanup crew, erecting a barrier around the apartment so that no unwanted action occurred.


	2. A Meal and a Chance Meeting

Chapter 2

Inuyasha grunted as he rolled over, adjusting to a more comfortable position, before long his lips parted and drool slowly began to make its way from his mouth to the cushion beneath him. The clean-up crew was taking far too long and in his boredom he had turned to napping. While he was still aware to whether any danger was around or not he give his mind the freedom to wander, relaxing into the cushions and the scent of blood that was nearby.

_"Kagome" Inuyasha shouted as he walked away from their house and Kaede's village, "Something has happened to that Mangy Wolf, I'm going to go see what's up. Take care of the pups and the old hag for me while I'm gone" He smiled and waved goodbye to his two daughters, they yipped at him, and shrieked as Shippo pounced out of his hiding place._

_"Bye Papa" they shouted in unison after teaming up to beat up Shippo. Shippo managed to get free and ran into the house shouting "Mama" as he ran. That's my girls, Inuyasha thought as he picked up his pace. If only he had known then what he knew now. He would have never left without telling Kagome he loved her, or without kissing his mate._

"Wake up" Inuyasha yawned as he cracked his eye open, glancing up to the snake demon that was tugging his hair.

"What took you so long to get here Ryu" Inuyasha growled as he rubbed at his eyes.

"I had to get rid of last week's dinner" he sighed, "it was good too, a witch, she left me with some heart burn though" he said as he continued to tug on Inuyasha's hair, hoping to get him to leave. "Time for you to go mutt" Inuyasha snarled at the demon, biting at the hand. "Tssk tssssk" the demon hissed, moving to behind the couch he sat down at the corpse. "I doubt you want to be around while I digest this dog, tell your brother his previous puppet is taken care of"

Inuyasha stretched as he stood, looking away in disgust as the snake demons jaw began to stretch around Jaken's head. "Ugh" he shuddered and turned away, "I'll just be leaving" The snake demon started to chuckle before slightly choking on his dinner, he slowed his movement and adjusted his jaw to continue his work, waving his goodbye to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha shook his head as he walked out of the apartment, allowing his barrier to drop as he felt the snake demon's rise. He smiled as he walked past a woman when he was going down the stairs, blending into the world of humans with fake smiles and nods of the head, becoming unseen with simple gestures. Long ago humans had dropped the world of niceties for one of a quick and dangerous nature. Go here go there allow time to pass you by. He missed the older world.

Inuyasha came to the center of the city, the large building foreboding, with dark architecture and windows surrounding the exterior of the building. It gave the illusion of legality; no one would discover the world within unless they were unknowingly already a part of it. Sesshomaru overlooked everything, much like he looked over his lands in the feudal era. He kept his inner eye open for any new demon that entered the world, whether it be from a demon family, or a child created from evil doings. He also looked for new Miko's that entered the world. One should never go into the world without a teacher. He had gathered knowledge from every Miko that had been born since the war, many had been killed during the war due to the fact that, like demons, the humans saw their power as unexplainable.

He smiled to the middle school student that ran past him, her scent filling his nostrils with a violent wave, almost bringing him to his knees. Lavender and cherry blossoms, he looked up to see Kagome turn the corner. He reached out and started to shout, he would have called for her if not for the hand that covered his mouth.

"Not yet brother, she knows not of the feudal era" Inuyasha's eyes blurred as he looked into his stoic brother's face.


	3. Cain

Chapter 3

Sesshomaru hooked two fingers into his brother's collar, pulling him into the building.

"Why did you stop me" Inuyasha shouted at his brother.

"Inuyasha control yourself…" Sesshomaru whispered to his pest brother as he knodded to the human receptionist. Grabbing his brother by his neck he lead him to the elevator.

Sesshomaru tossed his brother into the elevator and sighed as Inuyasha scrambled to his feet.

"Sesshomaru, why did you do that? You know why I'm still alive, why I became a full demon…what I… plan to do" Inuyasha paused, closing his eyes. Breathing deeply he looked at his brother, determination filling his eyes, "What I have to do" Inuyasha followed his brother out of the elevator, looking down to his feet as sadness took over him.

"Inuyasha, you know as well as I do that if you told her about the Bone Eater's Well and of the demon world that she would think you crazy. You're no one to her right now" Sesshomaru took his jacket off and put it on the back of his chair, sitting down he motioned for Inuyasha to sit in the chair closest to the desk.

"It doesn't matter if she believes me now, I just want to give her the message" Sesshomaru sighed and ran his fingertips along his brow, trying to rub the frustration away.

"Inuyasha if you tell her now it can possibly effect the past, she could go into the well out of curiosity before her time and who knows what that could change" he shook his head as determination filled his brother's eyes once more. "Why do you think I never told you when she was born, you know as well as I that my agents noted the birth of that miko above all others" Sesshomaru reasoned with his brother, pressing his fingertips together.

"I don't know Sesshomaru" Inuyasha shouted, "Why didn't you, you know it's the only thing that matters to me" Inuyasha slammed his fist down on the desk in anger, his eyes bleeding red as Sesshomaru shook his head.

"You have no control half-breed, continue this way and you'll push my nerves, maybe you should go home before your anger gets out of control" Inuyasha stared into his brother's unmoving gaze and turned his head, displaying neck in defeat.

"Fine… I'm hungry anyways" Sesshomaru waited for his brother to leave before picking up his phone.

"Ryu, how long until you'll be able to eat again" Sesshomaru began to tap his nail on his desktop "I'll need you to completely digest that meal… but your next meal has already been decided" Ryu closed his eyes and sighed, it came out as a soft hiss.

"I would say in about 3 days, my lord, care to share who I'll be cleaning up after" Ryu laid back on Jaken's couch, he would be immobile for a few more hours.

"It will be my kill Ryu, make sure to ready your poison tonic for the initial digest, and Ryu" Sesshomaru paused, questioning whether to tell the snake demon "Ryu, your next meal will be much larger, prepare your den for a long stay, I imagine it will take a long time to fully digest Inuyasha".


	4. Memories

Chapter 4

Walking into his apartment, Inuyasha exhaled deeply, the door slamming behind of him. Riding over from Sesshomaru's office had allowed his thoughts free range, bringing him to a boil for what Sesshomaru had said…and done. Why hadn't Sesshomaru told him of Kagome's birth? _I can be trusted_; he sulked inwardly as he reached for some left-over take-out from the fridge.

"Of course he would know, but why didn't I" he cursed himself for never paying attention while Kagome talked about the Modern Era while they were mated, but what reason had there been to listen as she wished her past away while never being able to return. It had nothing to do with their life.

Sighing, he threw away the empty container and jumped over his couch. Sinking into the soft cushions, he breathed deeply, allowing the air to fill his nostrils, wishing that he was able to grasp her scent like he had earlier, a scent that he hadn't been able to be soothed by in centuries. He smiled, thinking of the sight of her, rushing around the corner to school, _always late_, he thought as he allowed sleep to take him.

_Inuyasha walked through the woods, having already entered Kouga's land, he knew that either Kouga, or one of his two lackeys that followed him around, would be there to greet him. The eerie silence of the forest quickened his legs, it should never be this quiet in the middle of the day, he thought as he broke through the forest into the mountain clearing of the wolf dens, the rushing of a waterfall broke the silence that had caused a chill in Inuyasha._

_Looking around the cliff face all the wolf caves seemed to be empty except for the one on the very top, which was Kouga's home. It seemed to be bustling with wolf demons rushing in and out, a lot carrying furs covered in blood, jumping from cave to cave, Inuyasha made his way up the mountain. With each leap the smell of death became stronger and stronger, mingled slightly with the scent of tears; the over-powering smell of blood became foremost as he reached Kouga's shelter._

_Looking around for someone he could remember, he noticed Ginta hunched over in a corner, crouching with his head between his knees. Inuyasha slipped his hand over his nose, the smell of the shelter causing him to fight his gag reflex and he didn't know if he could make it._

"_Ginta, what's going on" Inuyasha asked, crouching next to the wolf demon._

"_Ayame…" Ginta stuttered, covering his face with his hands, "the pups…there's so much blood" he shook his head, sinking further into himself. Inuyasha moved further into the shelter, knowing he would find an answer if he found the problem. It became difficult however; the whole pack had fit into one shelter where they typically spread into several among the mountain. The hustle of so many people in one place had made finding anything confusing, finally he decided to follow the one lead he could, dropping his hand to the side; he began to follow the scent of blood._

_After a few minutes of searching he was found an area that was partitioned, it had spots of blood leading around it from where people had been walking in it out, following the path, he walked around the wall, he fought his urge to gag as his eyes fell on Ayame, there was a bowl beneath her, collecting the blood that fell down from the cot she was on, it overflowed, blood pulled slowly towards Inuyasha before slipping between a crack in the cave floor._

_Ayame's eyes were closed, she hadn't died yet but soon the loss of blood would claim her life, her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath, each one more difficult than the former. Her hand was outstretched, Kouga's face cradled inside of her palm. Inuyasha coughed to let his presence be known._

"_Mutt face…" Inuyasha walked over to his rival._

"_What happened Kouga" Kouga shook his head, mouthing 'not here' as he stood up._

"_Hakkaku, please sit with Ayame for me" Kouga walked out, Hakkaku squatted next to Ayame, taker her still outstretched hand between his own._

"_Kouga, why didn't you tell Kagome you and Ayame were expecting? She would have wanted to be here, maybe she could have helped" Inuyasha started as he caught up with Kouga, Kouga held up a hand to stop Inuyasha before he continued more._

"_Inuyasha, I've lost at least three pups and soon my mate, give me a moment" Inuyasha looked away as Kouga tilted his head back, tears streaming as he began to mourn his lost mate and pups. Inuyasha stood silently, watching as Kouga rose two fingers._

"_Maybe" he paused as his voice broke, "maybe there are two pups that are alive" he murmured, "the first child was when the bleeding started, as the child was being born…I thought Ayame…I thought she was dying there. All I could feel was despair, it spread to my pack; each new pup came out still born, it was heart breaking. I didn't even know if the first pup was alive, then the shrill cry of the last pup, I had hope, maybe one babe, hopefully two had lived. But they took her away too" Inuyasha stared at his feet as Kouga tilted his head back once more, this time letting loose a low howl that built with his torment, Inuyasha's ear twitched as the piercing howls of the rest of Kouga's pack filled the air._

"_I just want to know if there's anything to fight for"_

Inuyasha grunted as he fell off of his couch, he groaned, grounding his palm against his forehead. Grabbing a bottle of scotch, he headed to his bedroom. Hoping the alcohol would lead to a night of dreamless sleep.


	5. Trust

Chapter 5

Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair, frustrated with the paperwork on his desk. There was a division in the building that handled the finances for demons and mikos. While this may have been a difficult task at one time, now it was handled by a staff of twenty demons. Any problems too large or complicated were sent to Sesshomaru.

"This is a mess" he sighed as he tried to sort through all of the expenses Jaken had built up before his demise. A knock at the door took him from his work.

"Enter" he motioned his hand to the side, signaling Ryu to sit down as he entered.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I was wondering if…" the snake demon paused, trying to build the courage to ask Sesshomaru about his decision "if perhaps you would tell me why you plan to kill Inuyasha"

Sesshomaru stroked his fingertips over his eyebrows in frustration, _exactly what I need_, he thought as he met the snake demons persistent gaze.

"Ryu, I know that, over your dealings with Inuyasha, you two have become friends of a sort. However, the miko Kagome is nearing the age that she falls through the Bone-Eater's Well" Sesshomaru stated, frustration growing as the blank look on Ryu's face probed he knew nothing of Inuyasha and Kagome.

Standing up, Sesshomaru went to a cabinet behind of his desk. His long fingers slipped through the files, pulling out multiples, finding the ones he needed he sat back down. The first folder in the stack had 'Snake Demon, Ryu' labeled on the front.

"Hmm" Sesshomaru flipped through the file, "the tales of Inuyasha and Kagome must not be spread like they used to, whether they were glorified or they were spurned, they were well known for quite some time. I suppose it's not surprising that someone your age wouldn't know, after all, all legends die someday right" putting down the file, he reached for the next one labeled 'Miko, Higurashi, Kagome'.

"Kagome traveled to and from the Feudal Era" Sesshomaru laid her open file down, "and I believe she started this year, while this doesn't seem important, the fact that Inuyasha was able to extend his life causes problems that never were" Sesshomaru paused, grabbing a water bottle from a mini fridge.

"Having the time to think about a paradox can show how truly boring this new age is. You see, often, Inuyasha would come to the Modern Era to fetch Kagome and bring her back to the Feudal Era. I've thought long about what will happen when Inuyasha, from the Feudal Era, runs through the streets. What confusion will it cause to the demons hosted inside Inuyasha? Having two sources will cause them to divide and the Feudal Era Inuyasha could be killed. Possessing his human soul would put him in danger, and if he dies what happens" taking a long drink, Sesshomaru turned the folder to face Ryu.

"Look at this girl, she and Inuyasha were mated. They had two pups. Do you think Inuyasha could deny his beast his mate? If Inuyasha converted to his demon-self it could prove disastrous. I will not allow any weakness when it comes to our survival. Sesshomaru loomed threateningly behind the snake demon, allowing his youkai to express the extent he would go through to protect not only himself, but every demon and miko under his protection.

"There are other snake demons Ryu, if Inuyasha knows I'm coming, you might as well wait with him" Ryu gulped hard, rubbing his throat as he pictured Sesshomaru's beast tearing out his throat.

"Of course, my lord. I understand" Ryu rushed to the door, ready to make a quick escape.

"Oh and Ryu" the snake demon turned to face the demon lord, "no more meetings like this, my motives shall not be questioned" Sesshomaru was back in his chair, his hands clasped together, his eyes completely bleed through. Ryu nodded tremblingly.

"Yes, my lord"


	6. A Talk in the Park

Chapter 6

Ryu shivered in the elevator, rubbing his arms, the thought of Sesshomaru's face as he left the office haunting him.

"Are you alright" the receptionist questioned as he headed for the exit of the building.

"I'm fine" he nodded, looking at his faded reflection in the glass; he could see that his blood had drained from his face.

"I guess this is what happens when you get threatened by Sesshomaru" he chuckled nervously, walking down the street he made his way to the park close by, hoping the peaceful silence would clear his mind.

Ryu made a bee line for his favorite spot in the park, often he would come here to rest when he was digesting a meal that cause him problems. Coming to a more mountainous area of the park, he climbed up a tree to make his way on top of a large bolder. The sun bathed these rocks in delicious heat every day, even in the winter, once his body got rid of the initial chill he could soak in the heat of the rocks.

He stretched his arms over his head, rolling his jacket up; he placed it under his head. Quickly the light of the sun faded and he was peacefully asleep.

Ryu stirred as the sound of sobbing reached his ears; rolling onto his stomach he looked down to see a teenage girl crying. He could tell she wasn't youkai, he felt no challenge to his own.

He sighed, knowing his nap was over, and he couldn't exactly sneak away seeing as the girl was beneath the tree he used to get up to and down from the bolder, once again he sighed, knowing he would have to speak to the girl or wait for her to finish crying and leave if he wanted to continue to sleep here.

He coughed lightly, trying to get the girl to notice his head peeping over the rock.

"Oh" she looked up, shocked to find someone with her. "Were you…were you watching me" she asked nervously. Ryu shook his head quickly, a slight blush spreading over his cheeks.

"No, no" he stated, shaking his hands as he climbed into the tree. "I was asleep" he smiled down at the girl, carefully making his way down the tree.

"Oh, did I wake you? I'm sorry" She wrapped her arms around her knees, watching him climb down.

"It's alright…sooo" he started awkwardly, shuffling his feet, "are you alright" he asked, sitting down next to the girl.

"Yeah" she sniffled, flicking her hair from her face.

"Want to talk about it" he asked, lightly nudging her side, she smiled back at him.

"I guess it won't hurt. Today was my high school entry exam, I stayed up all night studying and overslept" she sighed heavily, picking at the laces of her shoes, "I almost missed the most important thing in my life" she exclaimed, shaking her head. "I ran some guy over and didn't get to say sorry, which I feel guilty about. And now I'm just so nervous about whether I got in or not. I guess I was crying because of stress. I'm sorry I woke you" she breathed deeply and smiled with relief.

"Thanks, I feel better, the main reason I came here was to relax" Ryu smiled back at her, patting her back.

"No problem, I usually come here to relax, maybe that's why you came here. We were supposed to meet" he reached out to shake her hand, "My name's Ryu" her hand slipped into his open one.

"My name is Kagome Higurashi" Ryu's eyes widened in surprise. Kagome Higurashi, maybe we were supposed to meet, he mused.

"Well" Kagome pulled her hand back, "Thanks for helping me, I have to get home or my mom will kill me" with that said she picked up her bike that was close by and left.

"Bye" Ryu waved aimlessly completely lost in his thoughts.


	7. Target

A/N: I know it's short...shorter than usual, I know where I want to go just not how to get there with me feeling happy with it, so I decided to post what I do like as a filler to the next fuller length chapter.

A/N 2: The Assassin's Rule that I used is from Soul Eater.

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><p>Chapter 7<p>

Ryu paced back and forth in his bedroom, trying to decide what he would do about his next job. Meeting the young girl had peeked his curiousity on the 'tale' Sesshomaru had mentioned.

When he had asked his friends he was met with the similair responses, 'I know who Inuyasha is… he's an asshole. What was the other name?'; it seemed that no one in the last two hundred years knew. And there were few he felt comfortable enough to ask without it possibly getting back to Sesshomaru.

"Someone old" he mumbled, tapping his fingertips to his lips. "Someone who knew Inuyasha" he walked to his desk, pulling out a binder of profiles, he began to quickly flip through all of his previous employers, scanning the page before moving on.

"Hmmm" he hummed thoughtfully, "I haven't spoken to him since I first consumed a kill" He placed the book on his desk, ignoring the chill that ran down his spine as he left the apartment.

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><p><em>Bleed into the shadows! Bleed into the shadows!<em> The panther demon's mind screamed as her breath played against the targets neck. With one inward deep breath the assassin fought to keep her cover. _Bleed into the shadows… erase your breathing… and wait for your target to let down his guard_, she thought, slowly creeping back to the open window of the snake demon's apartment.

She stealthly made her way up the fire escape, leaping from building to building she easily kept pace with the snake demon below. Pulling out her cell phone she prepared to report back to Sesshomaru.

"Thank you for calling Taisho, Inc.; who can I connect you with" the panther demon connected with the side of a building, the height differences of the buildings in the city slowing her slightly.

"Lord Sesshomaru" the feline sighed impatiently, her neck strained as she kept the phone to her ear.

"Alright ma'am, however he's denyinh guests to his office so he might not answer"

"Just put me through" the demon shouted in frustration. A click signaled that she was put through, it rang once.

"I have time for one person, if your not them, hang up" Sesshomaru growled.

"Yes my lor-" the feline started.

"Mimiru, you know I'm waiting for your report, where are you? It sounds like you're in a wind tunnel" he stated in frustration.

"Following the target" she responded, she was in an open area now and was able to run freely, "We're heading East" she stated, knowing that Sesshomaru knew what she was leading to.

"Good work Mimi, be careful, you know how they feel about me. The wolf den might not be the safest place for more then one of my agents to be."


	8. Collecting Puzzle Pieces

A/N: Sorry for the somewhat long wait, it took me awhile to finally write something I was happy with, who knows how many folded up attempts there are, that's right I hand write it out first! :O and I didn't want to put out something that I wasn't happy with.

A/N 2: So I wrote my first fight scene, I was pretty nervous about it because I was worried about it coming out awkward but I think it's alright! Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

Mimiru slipped her phone into her pocket, slowing her pace long before she reached the wolf city. While they won't take notice to a snake demon in a taxi entering the city, they might take notice of a demon running at high speeds towards the heart of their city. She decided it would be safer to lose sight of her target for maybe twenty minutes then to be detected.

She slowly made her way into the city, she knew she couldn't travel on the roof tops due to the fact that the wolves kept heavy security all over the city; she reigned in her youkai, keeping a barrier tight around her. A spy being sent into the area, for whatever reason, would be viewed as a threat to Kouga, the pack's glorified Kouga for his work to keep them safe and they coveted him like a god.

In the heart of the city was where she would meet back up with her target, it was where Kouga ran the cit. Many of the wolves believed that what Kouga did to keep them safe, allowed them to live in solitude with the ability to continue like they did in the past, but she knew that another of her division reported back and forth between Kouga and Sesshomaru.

Getting inside the city was easy, that building… not so much. The building wrapped around a training yard for the classes that were held there and she assumed that would be her safest entry point.

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><p>Ryu walked quickly through the large halls of the building, sighing with relief, being able to leave the rude receptionist behind him. It had taken some persuasion and intense flattery on his part but she had finally directed him to find Kouga.<p>

He was currently training a class of pups combat techniques and could be found in the training yard in the center of the building.

Ryu breathed in the fresh air as he walked into the courtyard. It was a beautiful garden, a small pond and exquisite flowers beguiling the senses with a feeling of peace. The quiet sounds of the classes combat drew him into an area surrounded by tress.

Ryu sat down beneath one of the tress, nodding to Kouga when he glanced over. The receptionist said the class was in process for atleast another half hour and he planned to nap.

"Well class, I hadn't planned for this today, but I see no time better then the present. Today you will see the techniques of a snake demon and how to combat them" Kouga clapped his hands together and grinned, motioning for the stunned Ryu to come his way.

"Wha-What" Ryu said shakily, shaking his head as Kouga dragged him in front of the class.

"This is real Ryu, I don't plan to hold back" Kouga whispered so that the pups couldn't hear, "if you want me to listen to what you have to say, you will fight with me so that my students may learn."

Ryu sighed heavily; he really wanted to know all that he could, so he decided to play Kouga's game. Shaking his jacket from his shoulder's he hung it over a tree branch, he kicked his shoes off and peeled his socks from his feet.

He breathed deeply, the sand beneath his feel cool and coarse, he closed his eyes, centering himself for balance.

Opening his eyes he noted Kouga's stance, legs wide, palms showing, a slight snarl on his face.

_I won't lose, _he thought, hoping he could get through this without getting too banged up.

Kouga began to bob back and forth, like a canine that had just spotted a new toy. Ryu stood firm, waiting to strike.

Kouga pounced, his claws flashing as he leaped for Ryu, he knew Ryu would never make the first move and figured now was as good as ever.

Ryu leaned back, Kouga's nail scraping his neck. Ryu brought his right arm up quickly, connecting with Kouga's wrist, he closed his hand around the wolf prince's wrist and fingers.

Kouga gritted his teeth as he felt his middle finger crack, the snake demons grip making his left hand unusable. Ryu pulled the hand to his chest, spinning Kouga into his arms. With each breath Kouga could feel Ryu's grasp tighten.

Kouga began to kick his legs, his foot connecting with a bench, he used it to force Ryu back, causing him to fall over. Ryu released Kouga, rolling back to get to his feet without having to fight of an attack. When he looked up Kouga had disappeared.

Ryu slowly crept forward, a rustle above proving this to be a poorly thought plan, he looked up to see Kouga crashing down.

The wolf prince grinned triumphantly as he pinned Ryu down.

"Did you note his languidness class? Starting slow, moving to quick strikes once their opponent is close. He almost had me, I'll admit" he chuckled to himself, "but the best thing a wolf has at his disposal is ingenuity."

The young pups erupted in cheers for their great teacher, laughing at the struggling snake demon as he attempted to get Kouga off his chest.

"Dismissed" Kouga laughed, patting his legs off as he got off of the now breathless Ryu.

They waited for the students to leave the courtyard before they started discussing any business.

"So Ryu, what do I owe this pleasure? Done cleaning up after Sesshomaru's agents and ready for some wholesome work" Ryu shook his head.

"You know I still work for Sesshomaru, the pay is good, among other things" he said, absentmindedly patting his stomach, "I was wondering if you could give me some information."

"Depends on what you want to know" Kouga watched as Ryu pulled his socks back on.

"Well you see… I've recently been hearing bits and pieces about some girl, that apparently mated Inuyasha and died? I don't know, but I met her today and it busted my curiosity bubble, I had to find out more" Ryu rubbed his arm nervously, wondering if Kouga would question more.

"My beloved Kagome, I could never win her over. Perhaps it… well both of our mates died, hopefully her death wasn't as gruesome as Ayame's…"

* * *

><p><em>Kouga held his two babes close to his body. Their scent mingled of Ayame's, it offered some solace after the burial ceremony. The Clad had blocked off his previous housing because of the severeness of Ayame's death. There was nothing but the small baby's in his arms left of her.<em>

_He laid them down gently as Inuyasha walked into the room._

"_You know, these pups are a mystery to me. They look like us in shape, their scent is ours, but their coloring is like nothing I have ever seen before" Inuyasha nodded, taking the raven haired baby into his hands. He slowly ran his fingers through her soft curls._

"_Have you noticed the gold that sprinkles through her hair" Kouga nodded, the baby yawned, waving her arms as she opened her eyes, mewing in hunger. "Look at her eyes" Inuyasha stated in awe, soft gold circling around her pupils in rings, "They're beautiful."_

_Kouga nodded, "Her name is Hope, she was the last babe born, her cries gave me hope that atleast one was alive."_

_Inuyasha placed Hope gently next to her sister. She was identical to Hope in features, her colors however were just as bizarre. Her hair was a deep red where her sister's was black, and where Hope's hair was gold, her's was the darkest of blacks._

"_Is her eyes like her sister's" Inuyasha questioned quietly._

_Kouga nodded, "The very same in look but with the same color pattern as her hair."_

"_Her eyes… are red?" Inuyasha sat next to Kouga._

"_Yes" tears filled the wolf prince's eyes, "it's as if all of the blood from her mother has stained her body."_

"_Look Kouga, there's not much that I can do, but let me bring Kagome here so that she can help you adjust. Maybe give you some herbs for your pain and teach you how to care for the pups."_

_Kouga ran his hand over his face, wiping the tears away, "That would be good" he mumbled. "Thank you" he muttered out as Inuyasha leapt from the cave._

* * *

><p>"Inuyasha was supposed to be back in a week's time" Kouga shook his head, rubbing his thumb and pointer finger over his eyes to prevent any tears from falling.<p>

"I don't know what he found there, I don't know what happened to her, just that he wasn't there when it happened, you'll have to go to him if you want to know everything."


	9. Recruiting Help

Chapter 9

Shippo rolled over in his bed, the tail of his latest conquest pressing against his abdomen. He ran his hands up her stomach, nipping lightly at her ear as his large arms surrounded her.

"Mmmm Shippo-kun I'm not ready for round two yet" she purred, sleepily stretching against him.

"You sure my sweet" he asked, softly licking where his fangs had pierced.

"Mmhmm" she moaned, slipping back to sleep as he left the bed.

Heading to the bathroom he hopped into the shower, he began to stretch and flex as water slowly dripped down his body. He loved how the water felt dripping down his body. Where he would usually spent an hour in the shower, today it was cut short due to the ringing of a phone.

"Hello" Shippo stated, irritated as he tried to towel off his hair, not wanting to have the uncomfortable feeling of water on his ear.

"Shippo I need you to come by my office" Sesshomaru's strict tones signaled to Shippo that not only was it business that signaled the call, but that it was urgent.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes Sesshomaru-sama" Shippo quickly began to dress, sitting down on his bed he began to pull up his pants.

"I'm ready now if you are" the girl that had been sleeping in his bed slipped her hands around his waist, her face pressing to his back as her hand slipped into his boxers.

"Whoa" he shouted in surprise, a shiver going down his spine as she moved her hand up and down his shaft, "Sorry Sweetheart, I've gotta go" He plucked her hand from his shorts, turning around he pressed his lips to hers while pulling up his pants.

"There will be some breakfast ready when you finally get out of bed" he pulled a green t-shirt over his head, grabbing a brown leather vest from a chair next to the door as he left the room.

"Good Morning Iseala" he greeted his housekeeper, the smell of bacon reaching his nose.

"Good Morning Sir" she said handing him a thermos of coffee and some toast as he walked out the door.

He got into a limo that waited at the door for him, not needing to give any instructions to the driver since Sesshomaru had taken care of it.

Fifteen minutes later exactly Shippo was stepping into Sesshomaru's office.

"Punctual as usual" Sesshomaru stated as he stood from his after the ritual bow, they got right down to business.

"What's wrong Sesshomaru-sama" Sesshomaru sat back down, grounding his palm against his forehead in frustration.

"Kagome's been born" Shippo asked.

"Oh she was born about fifteen years ago, soon she'll be falling into the Bone Eater's Well and I can't trust him not to do anything" Shippo's curiosity was peeked, part of him wanted to see his Momma.

"What do you want me to do" Shippo asked, nervously tugging on his shirt, no matter how muscular and tall he became Sesshomaru still managed to make him feel like a child.

"I want you to come with me to kill him, I'm worried that Ryu might betray me, I don't want to take any risks, so I want you to come with me. Tomorrow at eight, I'll pick you up, be ready by seven thirty.

"Yes sir" Shippo answered, leaving the office as Sesshomaru flicked his hand through the air.


	10. Redemption

Chapter 10

Ryu sat patiently outside Inuyasha's apartment, the clock ticking away slowly as day turned to night. His head began to nod as he slipped in and out of sleep, his body slumping over as the lights in the hall dimmed down. The music in his ears blaring as he fought the urge to nap.

The next moment Ryu opened his eyes was due to the soft kicks at his thigh.

"What are you doing here" Inuyasha asked, irritation written all over his body.

"It looked like a good place to sleep" he grinned. Inuyasha shook his head and opening his door, leaving it open for the sloth like snake demon.

"Really, why are you here Ryu? I haven't gotten the image of your first bite out of my head yet and you're a little difficult to look at" Inuyasha grabbed a soda from the fridge and filled a cup three fourths of the way, pouring a bit of Vodka to fill up the rest. "Do you want any" he asked, holding the bottle out to Ryu.

"No thanks" Ryu responded, shaking his head as he sat down.

"Are you going to tell me what you want" Inuyasha asked, smelling the snake demons apprehension at bringing up what he wanted to discuss and Inuyasha was ready to be alone.

"Welllll…you see… I've recently heard this story and… well… I was wondering… if you would tell me about it" Ryu shifted nervously on the couch.

"Why would I know? I've never listened to any old fart" Inuyasha swished his cup around, the ice clinking against the glass.

"The story I was told is about you, in the feudal era. I became really curious after meeting a girl in the park" Inuyasha froze, his grip on his glass growing tight.

"A girl? What does that have to do with me?" Was Ryu at the park, he wondered, he had been so focused on Kagome, did Sesshomaru know? Inuyasha's mind began to race, trying to remember if it had been Ryu that Kagome had been talking to; it must have been, why else would Ryu be here now.

"Well that's what causes me to find it so hard to believe. I mean, she does some rather incredible things. I just wanted to know what her death has to do with you" he rushed out, his words jumbling together as he noted Inuyasha's whitening knuckles.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered; Ryu watched as Inuyasha's eyes glazed over slightly, "it was my fault… I should have been there to protect her."

* * *

><p><em>Inuyasha's pace quickened as he neared Kaede's village, the orange haze he assumed was the falling sun staying bright as darkness descended. The scent of fear and burning wood hit him in waves, growing as he got closer to home.<em>

_Breaking through the forest that surrounded his home, fear gripped his heart; it appeared to be deserted. His mate, his pups…where they gone? He burst into the house; their scent was everywhere, it was impossible for him to hunt them out._

"_Yuki, Kumiko, Shippo where are you?" he shouted, searching through all of the knooks and crannies, finding nothing inside he left the house, panic consuming him._

"_Yuki! Kumiko!" he shouted._

"_PAPA!" looking up, he raised his arms up as his youngest feel down from a large ballooned form Shippo. Inuyasha smiled in relief as Shippo and Kumiko descended, hugging his brave Yuki in his arms._

"_Are you all okay" he asked, examining the pups for any cuts or bruises, "where's your Momma" he asked._

"_Mama went to help the village" Kumiko whispered nervously, clinging to her father's Robe._

"_Shippo take care of the girls I have to find Kagome" Shippo nodded, his eyes large as he clasped hands with his sisters._

"_Papa don't go" his daughters cried in unison; Inuyasha wrapped his arms around his children, hugging all three to him._

"_Shh shh shh" he whispered, kissing their heads gently, "be strong I have to get Momma, I'll be back" Shippo switched back, rising up with his sisters sitting on top. Knowing they were safely in the air, Inuyasha headed into the town. Killing any pillagers he came into contact with._

"_Kagome" he shouted, searching though the burning houses, hoping that the light from a sacred arrow would direct him to her whereabouts._

_Inuyasha leapt backwards as a large toxic wave of poison slashed through the houses in front of him. The houses crumbled away as the acid like poison consumed them. Inuyasha sprinted towards the source of the attack, knowing that Kagome would be close by._

_Inuyasha came to the backside of a wound up snake demon, the bright green coloring of the beast displaying his toxicity. Green goo dripped slowly from the snakes fangs. Inuyasha watched as the snake demon whipped its head, another wave of poison slicing through the village in another direction._

_Inuyasha withdrew Tetssaiga, the blade expanding to its full size as he planted his feet._

"_Heyyy Slime Breath! Prepare to die" he shouted, leaping up he ran up the back of the snake demon, wanting to cause the least amount of damage to the village as he could he leapt into the air above the giant snake, "Wind Scar" he shouted the wave of light that accompanied the move traveled down the snake demons back, shredding its body._

_Inuyasha landed on top of a house that was nearby. He dropped down to the ground, continuing his search for Kagome._

"_Kaede" he shouted, spotting the elderly woman as she stood up from examining a corpse._

_The old woman turned around at hearing her name, her tear filled eyes and the blood covering her clothes sparking dread in Inuyasha's heart. She had never seen such unnecessary butchery before in her life and she knew that the most recent body would cause more problems._

"_Kaede are you alright? Where's Kagome?" he asked, glancing around for his mate._

"_Inuyasha go back to your pups, get them out of here, they don't need to see" she said, looking down, not wanting to meet the hanyou's eyes._

"_Is she helping someone? I have to find her first; I know the pups are safe" Kaede bit down on her lower lip, afraid of telling Inuyasha what she found._

"_Inuyasha…"she started, placing her hand lightly on his arm, "Kagome… she… she didn't make it through the battle. She blinded the snake demon in the fight, that's why he was fighting to wildly… but he was able to bite her. His venom rotted away part of her shoulder. She didn't survive the pain" Inuyasha took a step back; the body behind her began to register._

_He ran to her, collecting her body in his arms. "Kagome he whispered, brushing his cheek against her cold one, her eyelashes brushing against his cheek, "please don't leave me" he sobbed, holding her limp form to him as he cried._

"_KAGOME" he shouted in pain, red filling his eyes as his heart shattered. Kaede watched as his youkai became prominent, losing himself to his grief. She watched him run away, carrying his deceased mate away with him._

* * *

><p>"I was too late" Inuyasha sighed, downing the remainder of Vodka in the bottle, the glass of soda finished long ago. "I could have saved her, I could have done so many things different, but I was stupid… overconfident" he coughed as he started to feel the familiar burn in his throat. "I'm going to change all of that. I won't lose her, I won't let her return to the Feudal Era after Naraku is dead to die" He paused, looking up at Ryu, the bottle shattering in his hand.<p>

"No one will stop me from saving her".


	11. Everything Falls Together: Part I

A.N.: I feel really awful for taking such a long time to post a chapter, a lot of crap happened in my life that made everything difficult, and when I wanted to write I didn't want to write...it was weird and it sucked but I plan to get back at it. So I decided to post this because I had it written and I plan to add the next part tomorrow. :)

* * *

><p>Chapter 11<p>

Part 1

Sesshomaru sat in his bathtub, the hot water lapping at his chest as he sunk under the water. Today he would kill his half-brother. While he had never truly cared for Inuyasha as a brother, Inuyasha had proved himself to be a steady gun when fired.

Pulling the stopper up he stood and grabbed a towel from the rack next to him, wrapping it around his waist he stepped out, curling his toes against the soft rug beneath him. He grabbed another towel and began to dry his chest, shoulders, and hair.

"Kaori" Sesshomaru called as he entered his bedroom, throwing the two towels over the back of a chair, he walked into his closet and began to put on his clothes.

"Kaori?" _Where__is__that__girl,_he thought as be pulled up his boxers and began to button his shirt. A few minutes later a slender inu-youkai peeked into the closet, blushing fiercely to find her lord buttoning his pants.

"I'm sorry Lord Sesshomaru; I thought you would be dressed by now." Sesshomaru stepped out, almost colliding with the girl.

"Why didn't you come when I called" he asked sitting down on the end of his bed he pulled on the shoes and socks that had been set out.

"I'm sorry my lord, allow me" she responded, she said as she sat at his feet to tie his shoes.

"Fine, is there any word from our scouts?" Kaori nodded.

"Mimi called first, stating that Ryu had spent the whole night pacing his apartment, muttering about what to do; he did visit Inuyasha, but he didn't say anything. Akio called a few minutes ago, I was speaking to him when you called. Inuyasha got up early and is again following the Miko girl." Sesshomaru nodded.

"I will be home late tonight, if anyone calls from the office tell them that I will not be in for the day, anything that they can't handle will have to wait until tomorrow, and if it can't wait they had better find a way to handle it." Kaori nodded as Sesshomaru left the bedroom.


	12. Everything Falls Together: Part II

Chapter 11

Part 2

Shippo groaned at the loud banging at his bedroom door.

"What is it?" he shouted groggily.

"Lord Sesshomaru is waiting downstairs, what should I tell him?" Iseala asked.

FUCK! Shippo jumped out of bed, scrambling for the clothes littered over his bedroom floor. As Iseala began to knock again, the door burst open. Shippo tripped over her, as he rolled he pulled his pants up the rest of the way, cursing as he pinched his flesh in the zipper. "Sorry" he shouted frantically before closing the door behind of him.

* * *

><p>Shippo quickly jumped into Sesshomaru's town car; noting Sesshomaru's annoyance as he motioned for the driver to head to the next stop.<p>

"Sesshomaru-sama, I'm so sorr-" Shippo started.

"That's right, you're sorry. I told you to be ready. One thing is all you had to do and you couldn't" Shippo sulked and stared at his feet, rubbing his toes together, "However it's what I expected so I told you an earlier time, so please stop sulking like a child." Shippo nodded and looked up so as to not cause him farther annoyance.

"So where are we going?" Shippo asked as he looked out the window.

"Ryu has not caused any problems, he will not be killed, and I still expect him to come with us… so we are going to get him" Sesshomaru stated as he pulled out a phone and began to dial.

* * *

><p>Ryu grumpily rolled over in bed, his hand knocking several things off of his nightstand before finally grabbing the phone.<p>

"Yessss" he hissed out sleepily.

"I'll be there soon, get ready" Sesshomaru stated from the other end.

Ryu looked at the clock on the phone, seven fifty five, if he remembered correctly he had finally crawled into bed at four forty nine.

"Only about three hours of sleep" he groaned. He stumbled out of bed, the clothes from yesterday still on his back. He made his way downstairs, standing in front of the building to wait for them.

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru told the driver to stop at Ryu. Picking the phone back up, he dialed another number.<p>

* * *

><p>Inuyasha sat still in the tree outside of Kagome's bedroom. He watched as she changed from the towel to her school uniform.<p>

It was hard to control himself, his youkai roaring inside of him, the need to claim his mate filling ever part of his being. He tried to reason with himself that right now she had no idea about him, therefor their past together was invaluable, but his love for her drove his obsession.

He could feel the need to stick his hand in his pants build further each second, the perversion of his obsession causing him to feel disgusted, his inability to stop amplified the feeling. The vibration of his phone annoyed him; balancing solely with his feet and legs, he pulled out his phone, continuing to stroke himself with the other hand.

"What" he asked irritation dripping in his voice.

"There's been a string of murders on the outside of town, we believe a wolf demon has been sneaking into town and killing humans, he's been trapped in a storage unit at a shipping dock, I will have a car out to your apartment. Take care of this" Inuyasha snapped the phone closed angrily, his hand building in speed as she pulled up her panties; she turned, facing him as she hooked her bra. He felt his release spill over as he imagined touching her.

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru, Shippo, and Ryu scattered about the building. Shippo hid in the shadows, not wanting Inuyasha to know of his presence. Sesshomaru and Ryu sat under the only spot of light to be found in the building.<p>

All was quiet as they sat there… waiting for Inuyasha to make an appearance.

Shippo peaked outside, a car pulling up, turning around, he mouthed to the others.

'Inuyasha is here.'


	13. Is Revenge Ever the Answer?

Chapter 12

Shippo slowly moved away from the hole in the wall, preying Inuyasha didn't see him looking through.

Ryu stepped out of the light, hiding behind a stack of crates, hoping to avoid combat.

Sesshomaru stood coolly in the spot of light, waiting patiently for Inuyasha to make an entrance.

* * *

><p>Inuyasha noted a flicker of light at the second floor of the building. He slowly circled his way around the building, finding the Wolf Demon's entrance point. He could smell the wolf stench all over.<p>

Deciding it probably wasn't the best idea to use the same entrance as the wolf; he continues around, searching for another entrance he finds a small hole, using that he crawls in.

* * *

><p>Sensing Inuyasha's entrance, Sesshomaru turns to the left, smirking as Inuyasha noisily enters the building. He waited for Inuyasha to breach the crates, the noisy entrance transforming into a stealthy attack. Another rustle to his right signaled Inuyasha's first attack, turning around he grabbed Inuyasha's outstretched hand, pinning him to the ground.<p>

"Do you ever pay attention to anything Inuyasha?" he smirked, releasing his grip from the squirming form beneath him.

"What are you doing here Sesshomaru? Why am I here if you doing all the work?" Inuyasha quickly stood up, brushing off his clothes.

"There's no Wolf Demon here Inuyasha, I had someone come in to place the scent to trick you. There are just you, me, the executioner, and the cleanup crew" Sesshomaru said coldly. Inuyasha watched him closely, wondering what game the asshole was playing.

"What are you getting at Sesshomaru?" he shouted, his legs tensing into a defensive stance.

"Today you die Inuyasha, not by my hand however, I promised your head long ago…"

* * *

><p><em>Sesshomaru governed the funeral for Yuki, his youngest niece. Having watched his siblings die, a now teenaged equivalent Shippo sobbed over the dead body of his sister, his slender frame convulsing with each cry.<em>

"_Shippo" Sesshomaru said sternly, pulling the boy back in order to continue the flow of grievers._

_Heading outside Sesshomaru found Ah-Un grazing nearby, heading to the beast he ran his fingers through Ah's mane. Every time he saw one of these it reminded him of Rin's death. He was thankful he would no longer have to bury the children from his household._

_Shippo followed Sesshomaru outside._

"_Is he here Sesshomaru-sama?" Shippo asked, snuffling into the sleeve of his shirt._

"_No, you should go home Shippo" Sesshomaru stated, motioning for the boy to mount Ah-Un._

"_He'll never come, just like he never came back to get us that night, or any other night…I hate Inuyasha" he shouted._

"_I would think that after the life I have provided for you and your sisters that you would have forgotten about Inuyasha kit" Sesshomaru responded coolly, frowning at Shippo's tantrum._

"_It's not about how well our life became. We almost died, if Rin hadn't found us, we wouldn't have lasted more than a week" Sesshomaru's heart softened as the image of Rin holding the two young pups as if they were pets, begging to be able to keep the trio in their household._

"_What do you want done about it Shippo? No one knows where he is or if he's even alive" Sesshomaru responded, relief filling him as the boy pulled himself on top of Ah-Un._

"_If the chance is ever provided, promise me that I can kill Inuyasha for abandoning us" Sesshomaru eyed Shippo, the seriousness on his face causing him to take the kit seriously._

"_Fine, if we are ever presented with the opportunity, and I believe you are ready, I will allow you the chance to fight Inuyasha, whether he dies at your hand or not depends on your performance." A brief smile flittered over Shippo's face before grief claimed him once more._

"_Now go home Shippo, in a week's time I will be there with a Kitsune teacher, you'll need proper training if you want to master anything and I will teach you how to fight" with that Sesshomaru headed south into the woods, starting his search for Shippo's teacher._

* * *

><p>Inuyasha looked around annoyance etched in his being, wondering what Sesshomaru could have meant. He kept one eye on Sesshomaru, wary of being attacked by another person.<p>

"What do you mean you've promised my head? What did I do that deserves death?" he asked, not noticing as Shippo crept around the building to be behind of Inuyasha.

"Where were you this morning?" Sesshomaru asked, noting the shock on Inuyasha's face, "And what did you do while there, how difficult was it for you to control yourself? How long will that restrain keep you from doing something that damages our past as it harms our future?" Inuyasha shook his head slowly.

"I would never hurt Kagome, I love her!" Inuyasha claimed nervously.

"Yes but you're a stranger to her and I don't trust you not to act before she knows you" Inuyasha began to look around for and exit.

Suddenly Shippo leapt out of hiding, his fist landing swiftly with the back of Inuyasha's head, Inuyasha staggered forward, quickly recovering her rolled over and turned to face Shippo, crossing his arms in front of his face, a second fist landing on the crossed area.

"Shippo" Inuyasha whispered, even with the system that had been developed by the demons that connected everyone, Sesshomaru made sure that Shippo never interacted with Inuyasha, planning to prolong the inevitable.

"Shippo I don't want to fight you, but if you don't back down I'll kill you" he warned, dodging as Shippo continued his onslaught.

"You're the only one in danger here Inuyasha" Shippo stated.

"Fox Fire" Shippo shouted, blue flames billowing out of his hand, surrounding and engulfing Inuyasha. Panic froze Inuyasha as his brain sent signals to prepare for the heat; his body was shocked by the coolness that danced upon his skin. While Inuyasha was distracted Shippo gently placed a leaf on his forehead, five copies of himself popping up around him.

Finally grasping that the fire did nothing more than cool his limbs, Inuyasha chuckled. "That move's as useless as ever huh Shippo?" he sneered, looking around for his foe.

"I wouldn't say it's useless, kept you stupid long enough huh?" he snickered.

"Iron-Reaver Soul Stealer!" Inuyasha shouted raking his claws across Shippo's stubble covered face; the loud pop as it disappeared making Inuyasha annoyed.

"But I guess you've always been stupid" Shippo mocked, another attack by Inuyasha ending the clones mockery.

"Shippo stop playing and fight me!" Inuyasha shouted, lunging and falling to the ground as another pop met his ears. He ground his teeth in frustration, standing up he headed for another Shippo, not noticing the one that walked closer behind of him.

"Little incapable Inuyasha, always abandoning his family" watching as Inuyasha lunged for the clone, Shippo made his move.

"Heart Scar" Shippo shouted, a red aura surrounding his body as he and Inuyasha connected, Shippo bit hard onto Inuyasha's shoulder, a version of fox fire filling Inuyasha's body as Shippo stayed latched on. Inuyasha thrashed around as the fire spread through his body.

"Fox Fire" Shippo mumbled, watching as once again blue flames surrounded Inuyasha, Inuyasha's body began to glow the same faint color as Shippo had when he bit Inuyasha. The two conflicting fires began to torture Inuyasha slowly, the burning inside causing him to faint.

"Bit of an overkill don't ya think Shippo?" Ryu asked as he stepped from behind of the crates.

"Not to me it's not" Ryu noted Shippo's hazed over eyes, the stoic look on his face covering his internal battle.

"Are you okay?" Ryu asked, Shippo hesitantly shook his head.

"I always thought that would make me feel better" Sesshomaru stepped up from behind of them.

"Shippo" Inuyasha coughed, soot rising from his lips. Shippo looked down at Inuyasha, pity flickering over his face before he turned and walked out.

Sesshomaru took Shippo's spot, kneeling over Inuyasha. He watched as Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes, surprised to find Sesshomaru. "Sesshomaru save Kagome… please" Sesshomaru slowly shook his head.

"Inuyasha I can't keep her from going-" Sesshomaru started, repulsed when Inuyasha grabbed his ankle.

"Sesshomaru, don't let her die, you promised" with one wracking breath Inuyasha slowly faded away.

Sesshomaru stood back, streams of yellow-green energy dripping from his fingertips netting over Inuyasha's chest. Within seconds of finishing the net a black hole opened on Inuyasha's chest, Sesshomaru turned away to see Shippo watching intently as hundreds of demons shot out of Inuyasha's body, flailing in their toxic death.

"What's going on" Shippo asked hesitantly, the black hole slowly closing. Ryu looked around surprised at what had happened.

"Out of desperation Inuyasha made a pact with a group of demons; in exchange for his human soul Inuyasha was provided with the longevity that was necessary for him to live long enough in order to keep Kagome alive. So long as he didn't die in combat. His soul is still gone of course, no way to get that back" Sesshomaru began to walk out.

"Sesshomaru-sama…does that mean Inuyasha was like Naraku?" Shippo asked nervously.

"Don't cloud Inuyasha with thoughts like that Shippo" Sesshomaru responded, pitying Shippo's confusion to how he felt about being the one to end Inuyasha's life. "He wanted to save Kagome, Naraku wanted to take Kikyo for himself. They are not the same." Sesshomaru left the building, thinking of how he could keep his promise to Inuyasha without having it change the past. While many things had changed about him over the years Sesshomaru still held his honor and keeping is word high above anything else.

* * *

><p>Shippo stared at Inuyasha's motionless form, lost in thoughts of the past. Ryu cautiously walked towards the dead body, pitying his friend's fate.<p>

"So are you planning to watch because… there's a lot." He stated looking over the building, trying to count all of the demons that had died in flight.

"Sesshomaru said I should wait until more people get here to help you clean up" Shippo said as Ryu settled down to begin.

"Well I'm going to get started so you might want to turn around" Shippo hastily turned away, choosing to listen to music to avoid hearing eating sounds.


	14. Introductions First

To those who have been waiting quite some time for the next chapter, or who may have forgotten about this story I apologize. The last few months have been pretty difficult, I lost my job, my grandfather passed away and then I had a baby sister born and I'm going to be moving. So to say the least it's been pretty chaotic. However I do plan to continue and once things settle down output will increase. :D  
>–YourNervousAuthor<p>

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><p>Chapter 13<p>

Sesshomaru trailed the fight and its effects over and over in his mind on his way home, now that Inuyasha was taken out of the picture some things would be simplified while some things became much more difficult.

He knew that many believed Inuyasha was the power behind Sesshomaru's lead and with his death there would be some conflicts, but he was confident that they were nothing to worry about.

As the images of Shippo and Inuyasha played through his mind he began to notice something odd. Why hadn't Inuyasha used Tetsusaiga? Sesshomaru tried to remember if he ever noticed the weapon on Inuyasha. Deciding it was better to be safe, Sesshomaru called Shippo.

"Yeah?" Shippo asked, the music from his headphones reaching Sesshomaru through the phone.

"Is Tetsusaiga on Inuyasha?" a slight shuffling was heard as Shippo went to look.

"No, rather pompous of him to leave it at home" Shippo replied.

"Hn" Sesshomaru hung up, ordering his driver to head for Inuyasha's apartment.

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru quickly headed into the building upon arrival. As he stood at the door trying to break in a small old woman came up behind him. Slowly she brought her can up and swiftly brought down against the back of Sesshomaru's head.<p>

"What are you doing young man" Sesshomaru smirked, knowing that he was much older than this wrinkled old woman could imagine.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but this is my brother's house. I haven't heard from him in a while, I'm just trying to get in to see if he is okay" he lied, turning to the old woman, he smiled at her, his demeanor became exceedingly charming and smooth as he chatted to the old woman, using his looks to get what he wanted. "Please, can you let me in?" he asked, his smile widening as the little woman blushed.

"Alright, alright, just stop looking at me like that" she shuffled back down stairs to get a key for the apartment.

Sesshomaru thanked the landlady as he stepped into the apartment.

"Tetsusaiga where are you" he whispered, the pungent smell of alcohol burned his nostrils as he headed for Inuyasha's bedroom. Sesshomaru combed over the entire room, tearing up anything that may conceal the blade to no avail. He continued to search the entirety of the apartment with no luck.

Sighing Sesshomaru exited the building, leaving a note in the landlord's mail box that he would pay for the apartment until his brother "returned".

Sesshomaru strode into his office, waving his secretary away as he smoothed his thumb and pointer finger over his brow.

"Sir" his secretary prodded over the intercom.

"Yes" he responded curtly, his voice slightly elevated in annoyance.

"I'm sorry sir, that girl you described, the school girl? She's been waiting half an hour to talk to someone, said she ran into someone outside of our office this week and wanted to apologize… I didn't know if you wanted me to turn her away or not" she paused, waiting for his order.

"Send her away, I don't have time for anyone right now" he turned away and paused, reconsidering the idea of having Kagome around, hadn't she been the first to grasp Tetsusaiga? Maybe she could be of benefit in finding the family blade.

"Wait, send her into see me" he said before going to check how he looked in the mirror. His sharp features complemented by the grey business suit that custom fit his body, his jacket hung over the back of his office chair, the smooth, almost reflective, turquoise vest over his dress shirt. "Hn" he smirked at his reflection, a grin softening his face as he prepared to charm the girl.

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><p>Kagome stepped nervously into the office as she prepared the excuse she was going to give the man.<p>

"I'm so sorry" she stammered as she stared at her feet, "I didn't mean to run into you the other day, I was rushing and I…" she paused he chuckled at her, looking up she found herself staring into the most intense eyes she'd ever seen, the molten gold orbs shining in amusement as he bent towards her, an extended hand waiting for hers.

"I always like to start with introductions first in this office" he paused as her slim hand slid hesitantly into his much larger one. "I'm Sesshomaru" he said softly as his hand tightened around hers.


	15. A New Job

**Chapter 14**

Kagome inhaled sharply, the dazzlingly charming man's gleaming smile causing her to blush.

"I…" she cleared her throat and smiled, "I'm Kagome, I'm sorry for not saying that first, I just didn't want to lose my resolve of apologizing." Sesshomaru circled around his desk and sat on the edge of his desk in front of Kagome.

She felt intoxicated by the smell of him, his facial features sharp and handsome, it caused a tickle deep in her stomach that she tried to ignore.

"I am sorry; I was late for school and didn't have time to turn around. I hope you didn't lose anything." Her desire to make sure he wasn't upset was curious to her.

"It was nothing, I was just walking in" he lied smoothly. He knew he hadn't run into Kagome and assumed that she had run into Inuyasha the day that Inuyasha had drilled him with questions about Kagome. "I hope you made it to class on time" Kagome nodded and began to fidget with her shirt.

"Well that's really all I had to say. Thank you for seeing me" she smiled.

"You know we could use an honest girl like you part time. If you're ever interested here's my card" he smiled and showed her to the door.

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><p>Kagome nervously walked out of the building, slipping Sesshomaru's card into her backpack. Once downstairs she got on her bike and headed home, thoughts of the meeting running through her mind.<p>

"What an intriguing person" she murmured. She thought of the card in her pack and wondered if she should call. Her sensible-self felt slight hesitation while her curios-self felt drawn to the job… and the man.

_Plus, some shopping money would be nice, _she smiled at the thought of the things she could get and decided she would ask her mother what she thought about it once she got home.


End file.
